Printing-frame.



APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, 1908.

WITNESSES G. .DOW. PRINTING FRAME.

ms rwmws PETERS cc WASHINGTON, n. c

Patented June 8,1909.

A 770/?NE YS UNTTJE STATES CHARLES DOW, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE MURPHY, INO., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A OORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PRINTING-FRAME To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, Ormnnns Dow, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Print ing-Frame, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to printing frames, such as are used by photographers in making prints from plates or negatives.

An object of the invention is to produce a frame having an improved construction which. will greatly facilitate the operation of removing the back of the frame when the exposure of the print is finished.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction which will distribute the pressure of the back upon the plate, and which will exert no tendency to shift the print upon the plate when the back is set in position or when a section or leaf of the back has been raised to examine the print during the exposing process.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully de scribed hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this speci fication, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.

Figure 1 is a perspective of a printing frame constructed according to my invention and showing the same with one of the leaves of the back partly open as though the print within the frame were to be examined; and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the printing frame.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 represents the body of the frame, which is of the usual rectangular form. The inner faces of the longitudinal bars 2 of this frame are provided with hinge plates 3 having channels or grooves 1 which receive the projecting ends of the pintles 5 of the hinges 6 of the back 7. This back is formed of two leaves 8 and 9 which are hinged together in the usual manner. The parts described above are of common form.

In applying my invention I provide the leaves 8 and 9 with flat leaf or bow springs 10 and 11. These springs are attached rigidly to the outer sides of the leaves, near the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 22, 1908.

Patented June 8, 1909.

Serial No. eaaeea.

hinge connection between them. They project away from the hinge connection and the bodies of the springs are bowed outwardly, as is shown. The ends of the springs rest upon the outer faces of the leaves as inclicated and are respectively curved upwardly to form lips 12 which are adapted to slide on the cover in a manner which will appear more fully hereinafter. The end bars 13 of the frame 1 are provided on their rear faces with recesses 14- which operate as guides for sliding shoes 15 which are adapted to slide in and out longitudinally of the frame, as will be readily understood. These shoes 15 simply consist of elongated plates which are bent so as to form tongues 16 which slide in the recesses 14 and which are held in position by plates 17 attached to the rear faces of the bars 13, shown. The inner ends of these tongues 16 are bent upwardly to form stop shoulders 18 which limit the outward movement of the tongues by coming into engagement with the edges of the plates 17. The outer portions of the shoes 15 are bent at right angles to the tongues 16 so as to form finger clips 19. These shoes 15 are in alinement with the springs 10 and 11 and when the back is in place they press the rear portions of the springs 10 and 11 so as to hold the back rigidly in position. The outer or side faces of the end bars 18 are provided with recesses 20 which receive the finger clips when the shoes are bowed inwardly as shown, and at the point where these clips 19 come, deep finger pockets 21 are formed in the forward side of the bars, as indicated in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 2, a printing plate or negative 22 is shown in position, with a photographic print 23 behind the same, and held in position by the back. l ihen it is desired to examine the print, to ascertain whether it has received a proper exposure, one of the leaves f the back may be raised as indicated in Fig. 1. lVhen the print is to be removed, the frame is held with the hands grasping the end bars 13 and the fingers are inserted in the finger pockets 21 under the finger clips 19, so as to enable the shoes 15 to be drawn outwardly to the limit of their movement. The back may then be removed, and also the print. When the print is being placed in the frame the two shoes 15 are slid simultaneously, and as they are in alinement with each other, tend in no way to rotate the back or to displace it upon the frame. This I regard as highly advantageous, as in printing frames of the common form are provided springs rotatably mounted on a back, and the rotation of these springs tends to twist 5 the back out of position. This often results in moving the print on the negative, which of course spoils the picture on the print.

Special attention is also called to the fact that each spring exerts its pressure on the back, at two points, so that the pressure is distributed over the plate and the print. This operates beneficially in producing clear prints by keeping the prints in close contact with the negatives at all points, and it also tends to prevent the plates from being broken by undue pressure concentrated at a single point.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In combination, a frame adapted to receive a printing plate, a back seating within said frame and having resilient members on the rear face thereof, and shoes sliding longitudinally carried by said frame projecting inwardly and engaging said resilient mem bers to hold said back in position.

2. In combination, a printing frame, a back seating therein, springs mounted on said back,

and sliding shoes guided on opposite'sides of nal alinement with each other, and sliding shoes guided to slide on said frame in longitudinal alinement with said springs and adapted to engage said springs when slid inwardly to hold said back in position.

In combination, a printing frame adapted to receive a printing plate, aback received in said frame and consisting of a pair of connected leaves, bow springs alined with each other, said bow springs being attached at one end to said leaves and having their bodies projecting outwardly from said back,

and shoes guided to slide longitudinally in said frame having tongues adapted to engage the bodies of said springs to hold said back in position.

In combination, a printing frame adapted to receive a printing plate, a back seating in said frame and consisting of connected leaves, bow springs attached to the rear side of said leaves, and extending transversely of the line of connection between said leaves, and shoes guided in said frame opposite to each other and having tongues adapted to slide inwardly so as to engage said springs, said shoes having laterally disposed clips projecting from said tongues and adapted to be engaged by the fingers in drawing said shoes outwardly.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to thisspecification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES DOW.

IVitnesses J. G. LAvENDER, V. S. MoYERs. 

